Diecast racing glossary of terms and abbreviations

Getting into the diecast racing hobby is easy...buy some cars, roll them down a track. But sometimes talking about the hobby can be a little confusing, and at first, kind of overwhelming.

Like any good hobby, there are plenty of acronyms, buzzwords, and jargon. Below is our glossary of terms that can help you navigate the world of diecast racing. We'll be constantly adding to this list, but please toss in the words and terms you've learned along the way.

CastingAnother way to reference the body type of a car. For example, my favorite Hot Wheels casting is the Ferrari 250GT.

DNF, Did Not FinishUsed to denote when a car is unable to finish a race, usually due to injury or inability to run a particular track.

Drilled rivetsUsed to denote that a car must be taken apart to qualify in a tournament. Even the most basic modding requires you to take your car apart and you can't do that without drilling the rivets first. Any car will drilled rivets is assumed to not be stock.

Fantasy carsAny car casting that is not based on, or replicates, a real world car or vehicle. Original Hot Wheels designs like Bone Shaker fall into this category, as well as more creative castings like Spector and Knight Draggin'. If it's not stamped with the name of a real car, it's probably a fantasy casting.

Fat track, Sizzler's trackName used when talking about the race track parts sold with the Sizzlers brand of cars made by Mattel. Sizzlers were first released in the 1970s and then re-released in the mid-2000s that could be found in Target stores.

FTE, Faster Than EverThese were mainline cars made between 2005-2006 & 2009-2010. It was often noted on the packaging that it was a "Faster Than Ever" car, but can also be identified by their bronze open hole 5-spoke wheels. Faster Than Ever cars have nickel-plated axles that are extra smooth and thus cause less friction, allowing the wheels to roll faster (when compared to non-nickel axles).

Mainline carsYour average $1.00 cars found in every store. Any car that doesn't have special parts, designs or casting. Mainline cars are usually have metal bodies with plastic chassis (or vice versa), and also plastic wheels.

JB Kwik, JB WeldAn epoxy adhesive that is commonly used to put diecast cars back together after they've been customized. Mix two compounds together and it will harden like metal after a few hours. Read our guide on taking cars apart.

JL, Johnny LightningPopular brand of 1:64 diecast cars that are typically of higher detail than Hot Wheels or Matchbox. Not owned by Mattel. If you're looking to race Johnny Lightning cars, check out our friends at the JL Lincoln Race Club in Rhode Island.

Lightweight, HeavyweightAny car that weighs under 35g is considered lightweight. Any car weighing over 60g is classified as a heavyweight.

MBX, MatchboxThe other well-known popular brand of 1:64 diecast cars other than Hot Wheels, although both are owned by Mattel.

Orange trackOfficial Hot Wheels brand track made by Mattel, usually orange in color but older/vintage track can be found in other colors. Orange track commonly comes in segments but can be found in 50' seamless rolls as well (check eBay).

Premium carsAny car that isn't a mainline and usually geared more towards the collector market. These are usually $3.00 and up, and often include licensed cars from movies, comics, games, and so on. Premium cars often have metal bodies and metal chassis. Some even come with rubber "Real Rider" wheels.

Premium axlesAnother way to label Faster Than Ever axles, or any other axles that come from the manufacturer with special coating, etc.

Real RidersRubber wheels that are often included with premium castings. They look great but aren't the best for racing. The rubber just slows you down.

Rip-N-RollA type of race where only unopened cars are allowed. No modding or graphite allowed. You rip the package open, then you roll 'em down the track. This is a great race to run when there are new racers involved as it somewhat levels the playing field.

RLD, Redline Derby RacingShorthand for referencing the Redline Derby Racing brand and site. Not an accurate acronym per se but comes from the hard sounds in the name, RedLine Derby (at least that's my best guess).

Series or circuitTypically a points tournament event that spans several tracks over several weeks, with each location holding its own tournament.

Stamp, StampedMost cars have the name of the car stamped on the bottom of the chassis. This is the primary way to identify a car. However, the name stamped on the car may be different than the name shown on the packaging or blister pack. Thus, the stamp is a good way to settle disputes about how cars are classified.

Track transitionThe part of the race track where the downhill stretch turns into the flat stretch, and common frustration point when building your own track.

Wheel codes, 5SP, OH5, etcEvery design/style of wheel on Hot Wheels cars has its own special shorthand code. There are dozens of codes so if you're a collector or customizer that cares, check out the list from Hot Wheels Wiki.